Cushion-tire



G. M. GOUDY.

CUSHION TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED' FEB. 13. 1920l 1,348, 105, Patented July 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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27%.?. Maij v v, f3 @km @Zw f aww/nego i UNITEDSTATES PATE-NT OFFICE.

GEORGE MADISON GOUDY; or GOsHEN, rimniim. l i

T0 all whom t mag/,concerns i -Be-it known that I, GEORGE M. Groufnna citizen of the United States, residing at Goshen, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have invented a newy and useful Cushion-Tire,.of which the following'is a speciication. Y

This. invention relates to cushion Vtires employed in `connection with motor ve,- 'hicles, and it is the primary obj ect ,of the invent-ion to provide la novel cushion tire possessing resilient qualities equal to the pneumatictiresnow in use. l j

yA' furtherobject ofthe invention is .to provide a tire of this character which'will not be rendered inoperative due to puncture, thus reducing the cost of upkeep, Ato a "minimum,-and lessening the period of which a motor vehicle is out of useundergoing repair.r

\ `A further object lof the kinventionlis to providea tire wherein the cushioningelef .ments of thetire, may be adjusted within the casing to regulate the 4tensioning ofthe ,cushioning elements according to the weight of the load supportedon the tire. i.

A still further lobject, of the inventionis to provide a tire structure wherein the casing issupported in spaced relation with the flanges of the supporting rim, thusinsuring Vagainst rim cutting. f f.

- With the.foregoing-and other objects in view which will `appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement ofpartsand in the 'detailsof construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes lin` the precise embodiment of vthe invention may be made within `the scope of what is claimed, without departing from vthespirit ofthe invention. Y

.Referring'to the drawings `Figure 1 illustrates a side elevational view of'a rim provided with a utire convstructedfin accordance vwith the present invention, the tire and rim being shown as partly broken awa'y.-

.- Fig. 2 illustrates a ffragmental detail view of abutting rim sections, the Asamefloeing shown partly in section. t v c l Fig. 3 illustrates a sectional view taken on line 8-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. illustrates a sectional view 'taken Online ,L1-4.0i Figl. Y

CUSHION-TIRE.

specificatin of Letters raient. Ilm-,emga July 27,1920, Application filed VFebruary 13, `1920. Serial 110.358,468.l i

Fig. illustrates a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.r l l A i Fig. 6 illustrates a fragmental view of a tire the same being partly broken away.

Fig. 7 illustrates Va detail view' of the prising a `plurality ,of sectionsindicated by the reference characters 1, 2 and 3 respect1vely,the section 1- being provided at one of its ends with` arms 4 extending in parfragmentalview of a c invention isshown as including azi-im .com-

allel relation with the section, the free end I of each .of said arms having an enlargement 5@forming aA shoulder adapted to position itself behind. one of the side edges ofthe tubular keepers 6 carried by the adjacent Vrim section 2,` and located in .positions Lwithin ythe path of travel of the enlargements 5, when the rim sections are brought together.

l The opposite end of this rimpsection 1, on

opposite sides thereof -is .l provided with keepers similar to that indicated at 6, which keepers accommodate portions of the arms 7 and -SVtOg-ether. The section 3 is alsoproof uthe section 3,*for securing the sectionsl vided on opposite sides, thereof and at itsY opposite end with pivotedlatch members 8,

`which latch members are offlengths to yeX- tend to positions overlapping the point of contact between theV Vsections 2 and 3, the

`latch members 2 being alsoy provided with heads 9v adapted to` fit `within the recessed ,portion 10 formed in the substantially yU-shaped keepers 11 to insure ,against displacement ofthe latch members.

Y From the foregoing itis Obvious that on assembling the tire, the rim `sections are firstpositioned so that` the arms 4 Vand 7 thereof will be embraced by the keepers of the adjacent sections, the latch members. 8, are then forced to positions: within., the lkeepers, 11, thus securing the sections ofthe .rimV in proper relation with each other.`

Each of the rim sections is Vprovided with plurality of openings'12, which openings .areydisposed in properA spaced relation with each other, and are of" diameters large enough to receive the tensioning nuts 13 adapted to operate within the respective openings for purposes to be hereinafter more i'ully described.

The rim sections are of the usual construction, being provided with the radial flanges 14 to accommodate the beads 15 of the usual tire casing 16, and which is employed in connection with the tirev structure of the present invention. The tire proper is made up of a' plurality' of independent'sections disposed within the casing 16 in spaced relation with each other, and each of these sections includes a relatively wide metallic spring member 17, formed of suitable `resilient, or spring metal bent to conform to l the inner contour of' the tire casing in which the same is-to'` be supported, and has opposed leg sections 18 adapted to embrace a supporting block 19 which is secured to the leg sections 18 by welding, or many suitable manner to securely unite the supporting block 19 and metallic springmember 17, so that movement ofl the supporting block 19 will result in a relative movement of the spring member 17.

Secured to the metallic spring member 17 is a covering 20 formed (jf-canvas or other suitable protecting fabric which 'fabric is provided to reduce wear between the metallic spring member 17, andthe rubber cushionln'g member 21 which is carried by theY .metallic spring member'l and secured thereto by means ofthe rivets 22 disposed in proper relation within the cushioning member 21.

In order that the beads 15 of thetire casing 16 will be secured to the rim sections, against displacement due to lateral strain, the securing member 23 is provided, which securing memberl is of a length equal to the length of the tire sections, and cooperate with the flanges 14 for clamping the beads 15 of the casing 16 Vto the rim. The supporting block 19, together with the opposed leg sections 18, 'are positioned within the securing member 23 and held in such position by means of the bolt 241, which bolt passes through a centrally disposed opening formed in the securing block 19, which opening is in registry with oneropening of the rim proper so thatthe bolt 2&1 may extend beyond the inner side walls of the rim sections to receive the tensioning nut 13 and the guard nut 25.

Operatingpover the supporting block 19, is the yoke 26 which Iincludes right angled arms 2 7 adapted to embrace the ends of the securing block 19, the extremeends of said arms 27 contactingv with the securing member 23, and since these arms 27 are of lengths greater Vthanl the thickness of the securing ,block 19, ,it willbe seen that by tightening 'the tensioning nut 13 the ends of the arms 27 are forced into engagement with the securing member 23, with the result that the supporting blocks 19 are moved away i'rom the rimpsections.

it ollows'that the metallic spring section 17' is now forced outwardly to expand the casing 16 and increase the tension on the casing.

Cooperating with the guard nut 25, is a pawl 28 piif'otally connected to the rim section, and as shown this pawl 28 is of a length to contact with thek teeth 29 formed on the nut 25Y so that rotary movement of the nut 25 in: an: anti-clockwisedirection, is prevented.

If it is desired to increase the tension of the metallic spring memberswithinthe casing, it is only necessary to rotate the tensioning nutsto cause the block 19y associated therewith to beI moved away from its rim sections, as before stated, and in the. event that it becomes necessary to decrease the tension of the metallic spring members 1i' to enhance the riding qualities of the tire, when used on light vehicles, the nuts are rotated in anopposite direction with the result that the-tension of the fmetallic spring members 17- are decreased.-

vWhile I have shown and described one of the sections of the tire in detail, itis of course understood that this structure is duplicated ineach section of the tire, and that-these sections are arranged Within the tire casing 16 in close relation with each other, as indicated by Fig. 6 of the drawings. It is of course obvious that this invention, while shown as applied to a sectional rim, mayber employed `in ,connection with the usual clencher rim disclosed by Fig. 9 of the drawings, and indicated by the` reference character30, the securing member 23 being employed in its usual manner.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. ncombinati'on with a wheel rim having openings formed therein, a cushion tire including a casing, a plurality of independentsections positioned within the casi'ng,each of said sections including a relatively wide metallic spring'member, a supporting block having connection with the metallic spring member, a yoke positioned kover the supporting block, said yoke having arms contacting with the rim, means extending through the rim and'supporting block and contacting with the yoke for lforcing the block away from the rim.

2. In combination with a Wheel rim having openings formed therein, a-cushion tire including la casing, spring members positioned within the casing, the spring members being positioned over the openings formed in the rim, a supporting block forming the base of each of thesp'ring members and having an opening formed thereinQsaid tion With said means, and a nut operating onone end of the bolt for moving the block away from the rim.

3. In combination with a Wheel rim having openings formed therein, a cushion tire including a casing, spring means Within the casing and supported by the rim for supporting the tread portion of the casing in spaced relation With the rim, a securing member' disposed under each of the spring means, a yoke positioned in each of the spring means,V and contacting with the securing member for holding the securing member into engagement with the casing.

Il. In combination With a Wheel rim havmg openings formed therein, a cushion tire including a casing, spring members positioned Within the casing, each of said spring members including a supporting block, a securing member contacting With the casing, a yoke disposed over each block, and contacting With the securing member Jfor moving the securing member into engagement With the casing, and means extending through the openings in the rim and contacting with the yokes Jfor moving the supporting blocks yaway from the rim to secure the spring members Within the casing.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aliXed my signature` in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

Witnessesz I. E. SIMPSON, I). A. ROCKELLI. 

